The present invention relates to a magnetic device including a spin-current pattern generating a spin current perpendicular to a main plane of the spin-current pattern by an in-plane current, and a free magnetic layer disposed in contact with the spin-current pattern and having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy magnetically switchable by the spin current.

A seed layer stack with a uniform top surface having a peak to peak roughness of 0.5 nm is formed by sputter depositing an amorphous layer on a smoothing layer such as Mg where the latter has a resputtering rate 2 to 30 that of the amorphous layer. The seed layer stack may be repeated to give a laminate of two amorphous layers and two smoothing layers, and is advantageous for enhancing performance in magnetic tunnel junctions in embedded MRAMs, spintronic devices, or in read head sensors. A template layer such as NiCr may be formed on the uppermost smoothing layer to promote and maintain perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in an overlying magnetic layer during high temperature processing up to 400 C. The amorphous seed layer is SiN, TaN, or CoFeM where M is B or another element with a content that makes CoFeM amorphous as deposited.

A magnetic memory including a plurality of magnetic junctions and at least one spin-orbit interaction (SO) active layer is described. Each of the magnetic junctions includes a pinned layer, a free layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between reference and free layers. The free layer has at least one of a tilted easy axis and a high damping constant. The tilted easy axis is at a nonzero acute angle from a direction perpendicular-to-plane. The high damping constant is at least 0.02. The at least one SO active layer is adjacent to the free layer and carries a current in-plane. The at least one SO active layer exerts a SO torque on the free layer due to the current. The free layer is switchable using the SO torque.

A seed layer stack with a uniform top surface having a peak to peak roughness of 0.5 nm is formed by sputter depositing an amorphous layer on a smoothing layer such as Mg where the latter has a resputtering rate 2 ? to 30 ? that of the amorphous layer. The uppermost seed (template) layer is NiW, NiMo, or one or more of NiCr, NiFeCr, and Hf while the bottommost seed layer is Ta or TaN, for example. Accordingly, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in an overlying magnetic layer is maintained during high temperature processing up to 400? C. and is advantageous for magnetic tunnel junctions in embedded memory devices, or read head sensors. The amorphous seed layer is SiN, TaN, or CoFeM where M may be B.

MTJ material stacks, pSTTM devices employing such stacks, and computing platforms employing such pSTTM devices. In some embodiments, perpendicular MTJ material stacks include one or more electrode interface material layers disposed between a an electrode metal, such as TiN, and a seed layer of an antiferromagnetic layer or synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) stack. The electrode interface material layers may include either or both of a Ta material layer or CoFeB material layer. In some Ta embodiments, a Ru material layer may be deposited on a TiN electrode surface, followed by the Ta material layer. In some CoFeB embodiments, a CoFeB material layer may be deposited directly on a TiN electrode surface, or a Ta material layer may be deposited on the TiN electrode surface, followed by the CoFeB material layer.

A magnetic memory including a plurality of magnetic junctions and at least one spin-orbit interaction (SO) active layer is described. Each of the magnetic junctions includes a pinned layer, a free layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between reference and free layers. The free layer has at least one of a tilted easy axis and a high damping constant. The tilted easy axis is at a nonzero acute angle from a direction perpendicular-to-plane. The high damping constant is at least 0.02. The at least one SO active layer is adjacent to the free layer and carries a current in-plane. The at least one SO active layer exerts a SO torque on the free layer due to the current. The free layer is switchable using the SO torque.

A method of fabricating a magnetoresistive device includes forming a magnetically fixed region on one side of an intermediate region. Forming the magnetically fixed region may include forming a first ferromagnetic region and forming an antiferromagnetic coupling region on one side of the first ferromagnetic region. The method may also include treating a surface of the coupling region by exposing the surface to a gas, and forming a second ferromagnetic region on the treated surface of the coupling region.

Methods of fabricating a dome-shaped MTJ TE and the resulting devices are provided. Embodiments include forming a MRAM stack having a laterally separated MTJ structures and the MRAM and a logic stack each having a SiN layer; forming first trenches through the MRAM stack to a portion of the SiN layer above an MTJ structure; forming second trenches through the SiN layer fully landing on an upper portion of the MTJ structures and removing the SiN layer of the logic stack; forming a TaN layer over the MRAM and logic stack; removing portions of the TaN layer on opposite sides of the MTJ structures and therebetween; forming an oxide layer over the MRAM and logic stacks; and forming vias through the oxide layer of the MRAM stack down the TaN layer above MTJ structures and a via through the logic stack.

A system and method for a logic device is disclosed. A first input nanotrack, a second input nanotrack and an output nanotrack are disposed over a substrate along a first axis. Output nanotrack is disposed between the input nanotracks. Each nanotrack have a first end and a second end. A connector nanotrack connects the first input nanotrack, the second input nanotrack, and the output nanotrack. An input value is defined at a first end of the input nanotracks by selectively nucleating a skyrmion at the first end. Presence of the skyrmion is indicative of a first value and absence of the skyrmion indictive of a second value. Nucleated skyrmion moves to the second end of the output nanotrack when a charge current is passed along the first axis. Presence of the skyrmion at the second end indicates an output value of the first value.

A seed layer stack with a uniform top surface having a peak to peak roughness of 0.5 nm is formed by sputter depositing an amorphous layer on a smoothing layer such as Mg where the latter has a resputtering rate 2 to 30 that of the amorphous layer. The uppermost seed (template) layer is NiW, NiMo, or one or more of NiCr, NiFeCr, and Hf while the bottommost seed layer is one or more of Ta, TaN, Zr, ZrN, Nb, NbN, Mo, MoN, TiN, W, WN, and Ru. Accordingly, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in an overlying magnetic layer is substantially maintained during high temperature processing up to 400 C. and is advantageous for magnetic tunnel junctions in embedded MRAMs, spintronic devices, or in read head sensors. The amorphous seed layer is SiN, TaN, or CoFeM where M is B or another element with a content that makes CoFeM amorphous as deposited.